New Macs shipping with Numpad-less Wired Keyboards

[Kaido]

via Engadget

The old keyboards are still available as a free option on the iMacs & Mac Pros. But seriously...they're pushing their new Numbers app in iWork 09, and they took out the numpad? Really?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: Kaido
via Engadget

The old keyboards are still available as a free option on the iMacs & Mac Pros. But seriously...they're pushing their new Numbers app in iWork 09, and they took out the numpad? Really?

I second the motion.

First it was the chiclet keys (those died in 1990 for a good reason) and now its keyboards with the entire right-side missing. I don't know what I would do if my Pro keyboard broke down.

 

[randomlinh]

heh, i actually like the chiclet keys... i never knew they existed in the 90s

 

[Kmax82]

Yea, I love the chiclet keys, but HATE not having a number pad. Thanks Apple. Everyday it feels like it's harder and harder to like your products.

 

[Kaido]

nm

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
Yea, I love the chiclet keys, but HATE not having a number pad. Thanks Apple. Everyday it feels like it's harder and harder to like your products.

pretty much. glossy screens are a pain. It's not TOO bad on the iMac, but still painful to calibrate (that and it lacks more calibration options hardware wise). On notebooks tho... the dell mini at work we have is annoying to use at times.

And now a dabble into numberpadless keyboards... I cut them a little slack for the BT one, but I still would like to see a full wireless one. And some easily accessible Windows drivers, heh.

And the growing gap between an iMac and Mac Pro. Even if a "Mac" fit in between, it's looking to be at least 1899ish.

blast you apple!

 

[KeypoX]

one step away from the apple wheel. http://www.theonion.com/conten...troduces_revolutionary

apple must think that numpads are a bit to hard to use?

 

[Muddy Mudskipper]

So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

If they were ceasing the production of the full-size keyboard I could understand the annoyance, but I don't see the big deal otherwise.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

If they were ceasing the production of the full-size keyboard I could understand the annoyance, but I don't see the big deal otherwise.

well, it's an indication of where they seem to be going. they killed it off completely on the BT wireless and that definitely was a factor in me buying that. I suspect it will eventually become a paid option, like the $20 remote. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

If they were ceasing the production of the full-size keyboard I could understand the annoyance, but I don't see the big deal otherwise.

I just find it odd that they're pushing their Numbers app and then removed the Numpad from their keyboards. I find inputting a lot of numbers difficult with just the top row of numbers. But then again, most consumers that I know simply use Microsoft Word and an Internet Browser, so perhaps the real-life usage for a numpad is, in fact, very small for the majority of users.

 

[mmntech]

It's a pain not to have a numbers pad but you can always buy a cheap third party keyboard if you need it that badly.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

Yes.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

If they were ceasing the production of the full-size keyboard I could understand the annoyance, but I don't see the big deal otherwise.

I don't use them much, but at times they can be insanely handy. I miss not having one

 

[TheStu]

I seldom use it, but it is nice to have. However, I have an external numberpad that I got for my macbook, so if I were to get the smaller one I would be ok.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Why give away something they can charge for.

OMG I got the new 10-key pad for my Mac.
This was someones idea for awhile, and now that Jobs is out of the picture, Apple is going to start sucking hard and come close to death again. Maybe the Woz will step up.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Muddy Mudskipper
So am I the only person in the world that's never used the numberpad?

If they were ceasing the production of the full-size keyboard I could understand the annoyance, but I don't see the big deal otherwise.

I just find it odd that they're pushing their Numbers app and then removed the Numpad from their keyboards. I find inputting a lot of numbers difficult with just the top row of numbers. But then again, most consumers that I know simply use Microsoft Word and an Internet Browser, so perhaps the real-life usage for a numpad is, in fact, very small for the majority of users.

Man, I don't know anyone, who uses a keyboard for work, who doesn't use the numpad constantly. From retail cashiers to secretarys and admin assistants to programmers and accountants, the numpad is 1000x better for inputting numbers in every way.

Anyway, yeah, lame move Apple.